Accidental project management: what it is, why it happens, and how to lead through it
No one grows up wanting to be a project manager. At least, none of the PMs I know had lifelong dreams of...this. Most
10 min readWriting by Brett Harned
The human side of work
Ideas, stories, and practical advice on project leadership, collaboration, and the messy, wonderful business of working with people.
Latest Posts
The first three things I’d focus on as an accidental project manager
Most people use “accidental project manager” to describe how they got into the role. There's a very common thread among project managers:
5 min read
What I wish someone had told me when I became a project manager
I technically became a project manager because someone saw it in me before I saw it in myself. But the truth is, I had
4 min read
Why your agency process keeps breaking down (and what actually fixes it)
Your project process is pretty damn integral to making sure your work wraps up smoothly—on time, within budget, goals met, and everyone reasonably
5 min read
Check me out on YouTube
I just launched a YouTube channel. That sentence feels both exciting and a little ridiculous to type, but here we are. After Same Team
1 min read
What even is a project manager in 2026?
It depends on where you work. In some organizations, a project manager is behind the scenes, moving tasks, tracking timelines, and keeping things organized.
5 min read
Your delivery process isn’t broken. Your business outgrew it.
I was on a call recently with an agency leadership team that, on paper, had everything figured out. They had a solid client base,
6 min read
AI isn’t coming for your job. It’s coming for your excuses.
I’ll be honest: I dragged my feet on AI. I can remember a few years back, a colleague of mine telling me I
5 min read
I built this conference because I wanted to go to it
Back in 2011, I had this idea that felt both obvious and completely unrealistic at the same time. I wanted a conference for digital
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I write about project leadership, working with people, and what happens when the plan meets real life.
